i heard this story referenced (on washington week i think) where the pundit brought up dean describing the clinton era as
damage control.
The attempt to portray Dean as an enemy of the Clinton legacy took a new, even harsher twist Thursday, over a few lines in a Dean speech on domestic policy. "While Bill Clinton said that the era of big government is over, I think we have to enter a new era for the Democratic Party, not one where we join Republicans and aim simply to limit the damage they inflict on working families," the Democratic front-runner said. Dean's opponents were quick to respond. "If you look at the language, it sure looks like he's being critical of the Clinton idea that the era of big government is over," Lieberman said Friday.
i dont know if it's divisive so much as signaling that a dean administration this will be about setting agendas as opposed to ceding them. i remember an interview with clinton where he himself admitted and voiced regret he did nothing to reverse unfair drug laws with reagan instituted mandatory minimums. blacks paid the price and were disproportionately punished with these drug laws--to save clinton from the appearance of being "soft on crime".
how many issues have we cowardly retreated from least we appear "soft" on something? this is something establishment dems don't seem to get: the iraq vote wasnt just about iraq; it was symbolic of all the times democrats have backed away from doing the right thing lest we appear "soft" on that issue. when you play defense like that, that in of itself loudly signals weakness.
right after the midterms, even though i railed against the criticism at the the time, it was true; this party didn't stand for anything. when you aren't true to yourself and your values and show a willingness to defend them, when you resort to playing defense instead, you've already lost the game before it's even begun.
this is it. you can smell it in the air. we are not going to put up with getting rolled anymore. we are tired of waiting for some paradigm shift. we ARE the paradigm. this movement is bigger than dean. people get ready and roll up your sleeves. this is a new day for democrats.